Race Against Time: Historians Scramble to Preserve Great Lakes Shipwrecks from Devastating Quagga Mussel Invasion

Historians and archaeologists are racing against time to locate and document shipwrecks in the Great Lakes before they are destroyed by invasive quagga mussels. These mussels, which have become the dominant invasive species in the lower Great Lakes, cover virtually every shipwreck and downed plane in the region, burrowing into wooden vessels and corroding steel and iron ships. Quagga mussels have displaced zebra mussels as the dominant mussel in the Great Lakes and have caused overwhelming destruction to the remains of historical ships. Efforts to stop the mussels have been unsuccessful, leaving experts to search for shipwrecks before they disintegrate under the mussels' assaults.